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IN THIS ISSUE:

• New leadership at DADS. Traylor and Adams selected for 2 key leadership positions. Waller will retire this month.
• New council will focus on housing and service needs for seniors and people with disabilities.
• With new directory, current community resources are just a click away.
• ADAPT of Texas honored for housing advocacy.
• Apply today for March leadership and advocacy training.
• TACIL welcomes new staff member.
• House committees get their marching orders for the interim.
• DPC Member Spotlight: Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas

 

Changes at DADS
New leadership at DADS. Traylor and Adams selected for 2 key leadership positions. Waller will retire this month

Just before Thanksgiving, HHS Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs announced that Chris Traylor will become commissioner of the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) effective January 1. Traylor has served as associate commissioner for Medicaid/CHIP at HHSC for the past 3 years. No word yet on who will replace him there.

Earlier in the month, Chris Adams became the first assistant commissioner for state supported living centers. The position was created by the 81st Texas Legislature as part of a major reform effort to improve conditions at the state’s 13 institutions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Visit the news section on the DADS home page  to read the full announcements for both positions.

Meanwhile, Barry Waller, long-time assistant commissioner for provider services at DADS, has announced his retirement effective December 31. At this writing, there’s no word on who will fill that position.

 

New council will focus on housing and service needs for seniors and people with disabilities.

The governor has named the first 4 public members to serve on the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) Housing and Health Services Coordination Council (HHSCC).

They are:

• Paula Margeson, REACH Resource Center of Dallas
• Jean Langendorf, United Cerebral Palsy of Texas
• Doni Van Ryswyk, North Central Texas Council of Governments
• Amy Granberry, Charlie’s Place

As you may recall, the 81st Texas Legislature created the HHSCC to increase affordable home and community-based housing options for seniors and people with disabilities who may need health-care services and supports. The intent is to accomplish this by improving coordination and understanding among state housing and health care agencies.

The council is comprised of 16 members. TDHCA’s executive director will chair the group. The governor has not announced who will fill the remaining 4 public spots. Eight agency representatives are already on board.

Visit the HHSCC webpage  for the full membership roster, a list of 2010 meeting dates, staff contact information, a link to the legislation and more.

 

With new directory, current community resources are just a click away.

The Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University has launched the Directory of Community Resources . It’s a new web-based directory that is bound to be a hit with Texans with disabilities, their families, and others with a need to locate community resources.

Anybody can use the online directory to search for resources by ZIP code, county, region, keyword, or category. If you create a free account , you can add or edit the resources that are already in the system.

 

ADAPT of Texas honored for housing advocacy.

Congratulations to ADAPT of Texas, one of 3 organizations selected last month to receive a 2009 Texas Houser Award. Presented annually by the Texas Low Income Housing Information Services (TxLHIS), the award recognizes outstanding “housers.” That’s a 1930’s term for people or groups committed to raising the quality of life for low-income families by improving the availability of and access to shelter.

In presenting the award, TxLHIS co-director Karen Paup declared ADAPT “the most effective grassroots disability rights organization in Texas.”

“ADAPT of Texas fights for housing rights for our most vulnerable citizens, seeking accessible housing opportunities for people with disabilities, “she said. “ADAPT boldly pursues their cause, regularly testifying at the Texas Legislature and organizing public protests. They strengthen the voices of low-income people with disabilities, which are too often ignored by our society.”

Visit the TxLHIS website  for more information about the organization and the efforts of housers throughout Texas.

 

Apply today for March leadership and advocacy training.

The Texas Advanced Leadership and Advocacy Conference (TALAC) is an annual event for people with disabilities or family members who want to strengthen their leadership and advocacy skills. TALAC 2010 is scheduled for March 28-31 in Austin. Organizers are accepting applications for participants and speakers. Visit the TALAC website  for more information and to apply.

 

TACIL welcomes new staff member.

Jodi Park is joining the staff of the Texas Association of Centers for Independent Living (TACIL) as director of disability affairs and outreach.

You may already know Parks. She was a Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD) staff member for 10 years. At TACIL, she’ll use her in-depth experience with advocacy, education, special projects and the legislature to raise awareness of Texas’ independent living centers in their communities and in the legislature.

TACIL promotes dignity, equality, inclusion and independence for all Texans with disabilities. Members include Texas centers for independent living (CILs).

 

House committees get their marching orders for the interim.

Texas Speaker Joe Straus has given House committees their marching orders for “the interim”—the period of time between legislative sessions. In a 33 page document, Speaker Straus laid out scores of topics for committees to study, review, evaluate, survey, monitor and otherwise work on before the 82nd Legislature convenes in 2011.

Savvy advocates know that “the interim” is an important time to be tuned in to the legislative committees and their work. This is the time when ideas for new legislation are hatched. It’s important for advocates to get involved now and be sure legislators know what is important to Texans with disabilities.

 

DPC Member Spotlight: Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas

Organization's Name: Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas
Contact Person: Gerard Jimenez
Address: 3710 Cedar Street, Austin, Texas 78705
Phone: main 512-323-0808 direct 512-496-6100
E-mail: gjimenez@dsact.com
Website: dsact.com 

Organization's mission: The mission of Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas “DSACT” is to provide education, support, and resources to individuals with Down syndrome, their families, professionals, and the community while building public awareness and acceptance of the abilities of individuals with Down syndrome.

Organizational structure and service area: The Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas has about 500 members throughout Central Texas. The DSACT Board of Directors oversees and manages the organization and implements programming. We have served people with Down syndrome and their families for almost 20 years. We have been a volunteer driven organization since inception but have plans to hire an executive director and administrative assistant in 2010. The organization has grown from a small parent driven organization to a large parent driven organization. We support Down syndrome research, educational programs for people with Down syndrome, and disability advocacy at all levels including in the educational system, in the community, and at the legislature.

Achievements and Challenges: Over the last few years we have substantially increased the number of programs and services we offer. With our rapid growth come new challenges. We are working hard to define ourselves for the future while maintaining our family centered culture. The current economic environment is also impacting our ability to support current programming and will substantially limit our ability to expand services. Our organization was fortunate to have several achievements this past year that include expanding our programs and services to our membership and collaborating with other organizations on programming, specifically a program designed to teach children with disabilities how to ride a bike; the development of an educational program for children with Down syndrome; the development of a program for religious organizations interested in providing inclusive opportunities to their congregation; and our efforts to get a bill sponsored that would have certain state agencies officially start to use the term “intellectual disability” instead of “mental retardation” or any variation of that term. We were excited to be the credited as the source for Senate Bill 1395 otherwise known as “The Person First Respectful Language” bill from the 81st legislative session and we look forward to working on it the 82nd legislative session.

If your organization could change one public policy right this minute, what would it be? There are several we would love to see change but there is one we would be thrilled to see sooner rather than later. We would love to see the term “Intellectual Disability” be officially adopted by the State of Texas.

How long has your organization belonged to the Disability Policy Consortium and has your organization benefited? We have been a member less than a year but have been attending meetings and events for much longer than that. The DPC provides an incredibly invaluable service to the disability community. The legislative reports and periodic updates the DPC develop and provide are thorough and well produced and an important part of what our Government Affairs Committee uses to make decisions on issues.

 

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